Another Forest Walk Show of Support – Another Police Action this week?

This Sunday walk was another symbolic show of support of general public to Hambach Forest Occupation, to Coal Exit and another chance to see, unfortunately one of the last, the forest in full bloom, coming alive after the winter. Over 200 people showed up with the oldest being 76 and the most distant visitor coming from South Africa(country also intensely cursed by coal extractionism and the environmental and social breakdown that accompanies it)

The walk has become an important part of the Hambi tradition, a way to connect with other on the outside and feel that we are being supported, when it is not always easily to show this to each other being all focused on different projects and often being stressed out by external oppression. Seeing the smiling faces and kind words that many bring, on top of physical support in many form prevents many of us from duplicating internally the stress and pressure put on Hambach forest activists by RWE conglomerate, its interests, justice system and police.

This support is something that the mass media green scare propaganda attempts to erode and it also seems that it is something that the regional police has been focusing on addressing as well. Beginning last Fall and happening 3 times since large police actions occurred on the week following walks in the forest with the last action occurring on unusual Monday(large police actions have occurred from Tue-Thurs) a day after the Red Lines Action a month ago. Large Police actions only happen in the forest on average once every month to two months so this is more than random correlation. It is also what happens when Police and local “Justice” system has been co opted by a climate and planet destroying powerful international conglomerate. Then in order to engage in repressive actions for, ok lets give it a name, RWE with minimal public dialogue, discussion and questioning quite a bit of PR damage control has to take place through statements to the media, media complicity in ignoring climate change and effect of micro-particles and other coal pollutants. All of this has been happening since the beginning. However staging large police actions right after walks in the forest is going one step further, it shows how the forces of repression are engaging in affecting the morale of those in the forest, taking away the feeling of having hundreds of supporters in the forest by replacing them with 100s of billy club, gun and pepper spray holding non supporters. This week will show whether this is a regular pattern now. If it is perhaps once again it is time for even the supporters to go under ground and keep their support a bit more covert and underground and stage less open and more guerrilla-like forms of support.

No Joke! We are not just fighting for our and other species lives but for a planet on which life as we know it is possible.